


things we said under the stars at midnight

by hitmyheart



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Developing Friendships, F/M, Fluff, M/M, Mutual Pining, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-29
Updated: 2019-07-30
Packaged: 2020-07-25 17:30:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,924
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20029621
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hitmyheart/pseuds/hitmyheart
Summary: mark and donghyuck met when they were eighteen.alternatively:mark and donghyuck share a fortunate stroke of serendipity, teenage angst, countless list of sappy love songs, painted ceilings, colorful walls, heartbreaks, and growing-up stories.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> hello, it's hithymeart.  
another college au from me. i felt the urge to write this after repeatedly listening to paris in the rain and another songs in 'i met you when i was 18' playlist by lauv. that album is masterpiece!  
also, unlike my other stories, each chapter for this fic will be very short. i hope you guys will like this. happy reading <3

**i. crashing into each other**

This was how it all began.

With Donghyuck and Mark bumped into each other the first time they met, falling to the ground together as the world spinning around them.

“Fuck!” Donghyuck groaned, holding his jaw. He heard another groan and opened his eyes to look at the culprit. He did not expect to see a boy around his age with a bleeding nose and a panic-stricken expression on his face. The latter blinked rapidly at him.

“I'm sorry!” he squeaked and Donghyuck cringed as he wiped his nose with the back of his hand. The blood smeared from his nose to his mouth.

Donghyuck found his glasses were next to his feet and took it before giving it back to the stranger.

“Here,” he said, thrusting it gently into his wandering hands.

Mark muttered “thank you” shyly and ducked his head down as he wore his glasses. Donghyuck waited for him to adjust his vision.

“I'm sorry,” he said sheepishly, looking so awkward in his glasses, and even nerdier in his blue-faded jeans and bright yellow Bart Simpson t-shit. Really, Donghyuck had never seen an eighteen-year-old boy going around in Bart Simpson t-shirt. No one, except that boy before him apparently.

“For your nose,” Donghyuck offered his hand-kerchief to the boy, wincing as he stared at the blood again.

“I don't want to get it dirty.”

“I don’t mind, really,” he said lightly. “Please, just take it. You need to clean your face.”

Mark smiled at him awkwardly as he took it. He turned his face to the side as pressed it against his nose, cleaning the blood from his face.

“I'm Donghyuck, by the way. Freshman. Department of Studio Arts.”

Mark shook Donghyuck's hand with his left hand and gave him another smile, this time it looked less awkward and more relaxed. The corner of his eyes wrinkled and his nose scrunched up a little.

“I'm Mark. Freshman. I'm from Department of English Literature.”

Donghyuck smiled at him.

“Nice to meet you, Mark.”

Mark smiled back.

“Nice to meet you too, Donghyuck.”

They shared a smile before parting ways. Mark went to the right and Donghyuck to the right. And that was how their first meeting went.

* * *

A few hours later, here Mark and Donghyuck were.

Standing before each other. Both of them looked equally confused as they stood in front of the same room.

Donghyuck blinked at Mark.

Mark blinked back at him.

“This is _your_ room?” Donghyuck asked, pointing at the door.

Mark nodded dumbly. “Yes.”

Donghyuck stared at Mark for a few moments before bursting into a small laugh, shaking his head at himself, amused at the situation they were in. He looked at the key in his hand, at the door in front of him, and back at Mark who shifted uncomfortably from one foot to another.

He offered him a small smile. “We're roommate.”

“Yeah, I guess so.”

“I can't believe someone who bumped into me this morning would be my roommate for the next four years.”

There was a hint of blush in Mark's cheeks as he remembered the embarrassing accident this morning.

“I'm really sorry about that,” he said. “I will return your hand-kerchief after I wash it.”

“Don't worry about that,” Donghyuck waved his hand at him in dismissal. “Now, let's get in, shall we?”

Donghyuck arrived at the dorm yesterday and he had settled his things around the room and chose the bed because he was there first. He had been wondering who his roommate was because he didn't see him the next morning when the first day of college had officially started. Turned out, Mark arrived shortly after Donghyuck left for his morning class. He was late because he still had to take care of some things at home—he didn't specifically tell Donghyuck and the latter didn't press further into the subject.

“We can exchange the bed if you want. I don't mind sleeping anywhere.”

Mark quickly shook his head. “No, it's fine. You get in here first. I'm perfectly fine with the right side.”

Donghyuck's bed was on the left side, closer to the windows. He liked to feel the morning sun, that was why he chose it. He was secretly relief that they didn't have to exchange beds.

“Well, Mark,” Donghyuck said as they stood before each other in the living room, not really knowing what to say at the moment. “I guess we're going to put up with each other for the next four years. Anything I need to know? Are you sleep-walking? Snoring? I'll let you know that I don't mind that. I'm fine with anything as long as you flush the toilet after you use it. Because if you don't, I'll dump the trash to your bed.”

Mark looked at Donghyuck, bewildered, before his face slowly breaking into a big smile. The awkward tension between them slowly melting.

“No, I believe that I don't sleep-walking,” he replied, his lips stretching into a grin. “I don't know about snoring. So far, no one ever complained to me. And don't worry. I flush the toilet after I use it.”

Donghyuck grinned, wide and bright.

“Good. We have an agreement then,” he said, holding out his hand to Mark. “For the next four years as roommate?”

Mark didn't hesitate to reach out for his hand and shook it gently.

“For the next four years as roommate.” he agreed.

The first day of Mark and Donghyuck had officially begun.


	2. Chapter 2

* * *

**ii. the next day, the day after, and the following days **

**Ten things Mark had learned about Donghyuck after almost ****three months** **of ****living together: **

  1. Donghyuck always slept through his alarm, no matter how many alarms he had set the night before
  2. Donghyuck went to bed around three, sometimes four or five in the morning, so it was understandable why he was having a hard time to get up early
  3. Donghyuck never closed the curtains because he liked to feel the morning sun hitting his face as a way to tell him to start the day
  4. Donghyuck liked to stay in bed longer when he didn't have a morning class and basked in the bright yellow sunlight, feeling the heat. Though most of the time, the moment he woke up, the sun was already too bright to see and it burned his face instead
  5. Donghyuck never forgot to make himself a coffee in the morning to keep him awake and get ready for the day. Even when he was late for his morning class, coffee wasn't something he could skip
  6. Donghyuck didn't really like cleaning but he was excellent at cooking
  7. Donghyuck was a light sleeper
  8. Donghyuck liked Michael Jackson and blasted his songs every day
  9. Donghyuck sang in the bathroom
  10. Donghyuck didn't like Mark's Bart Simpson t-shirt

**Ten things Donghyuck had learned about Mark after almost ****three months** **of ****living together: **

  1. Mark was pretty much dysfuntional without his glasses because his sight was really poor. Sometimes Donghyuck had to maneuvered him around the room
  2. Mark had a knack of bumping into things and tripped over the _air_ and hurt himself because of his clumsiness
  3. Mark couldn't cook to save his life and the only edible food he could make was _ramnyeon_
  4. Mark was very clean and neat
  5. Mark hated the sun and its blinding light—that explained his fair skin
  6. Mark solved math equation, watched Earth documentaries, going through a thick English dictionary, or worked on his British accent when he was boring
  7. Mark could play guitar and sing like a pro
  8. Mark named his imaginary dog 'Ygraine'—based on the Arthurian legend he's reading recently. He thought the name was beautiful and unique and very classy
  9. Mark wanted a dog since he was ten but never adopted one because he was afraid that he might not be able to take care of it
  10. Mark was weird and awkward

**Things Mark and Donghyuck had in common: **

  1. Mark and Donghyuck liked _kimchi jiggae_
  2. Mark and Donghyuck couldn’t choose between Westlife, Backstreet Boys, and NSYNC

**Things Mark and Donghyuck had to work out to** **live together: **

  1. Donghyuck was in charge of cooking and Mark was the one who bought groceries—they slipt the money of course
  2. Mark and Donghyuck decided who washed the dishes and cleaned the bathroom by playing rock-paper-scissor
  3. Mark willingly prepared Donghyuck's morning coffee because he woke up earlier than him and he didn't mind it at all
  4. Donghyuck didn't turn off the lamps at nights even though he actually couldn't sleep with the lights on because Mark might wake up in the middle of the night to take a piss or make _ramnyeon_ when he was having trouble sleeping. He didn't want him to trip over things and hurt himself

**Things Mark and Donghyuck did together: **

  1. Watching movies or TV series on Fridays
  2. Walking to the campus together when they had the same schedules
  3. Getting Chinese take-outs from the small restaurant down the road
  4. Washing the dishes together and grocery shopping on weekends
  5. Singing their hearts out and dealing with the noise complaints together

**

**The post-it messages Mark and Donghyuck left for each other around the house: **

_monday _

_06:35 _

_here's your morning coffee and your new sketchbook that i found under your bed!_

_i told you it was there but you insisted that jaemin hid it to piss you off _

_p.s. can you make kimchi jiggae for dinner? _

_p.s.s. you were snoring on your sleep! _

_ㅡ _ _marklee_

_friday _

_15:28 _

_I WILL DUMP THE TRASH TO YOUR BED IF YOU DON'T WASH THE DISHES BEFORE OUR MOVIE NIGHT _

_p.s. i'll buy chinese and diet coke on the way home _

_p.s.s. i'll buy your favorite ice cream bcs i'm THAT nice _

_ㅡ _ _fullsun_

_tuesday_

_08:37 _

_wow _

_this is actually the first time i woke up first before you_

_i prepared the breakfast already _

_you just need to re-heat the dumplings_

_p.s. YOU WERE SNORING ON YOUR SLEEP TOO! _

_ㅡ fullsun _

_saturday_

_06:00 _

_had to go home now _

_emergency _

_i'm sorry i can't do the dishes and accompany you grocery shopping _

_i'll do the cleaning tomorrow and you can sleep till lunch _

_ㅡ marklee_

_wednesday _

_13:45 _

_johnny dropped by to give you cheese cake and your favorite victoria sponge _

_i put it on the fridge _

_p.s. your brother is so nice! _

_p.s.s. try to eat them alone and see what will happen when you’re sleeping tonight (this is my way to ask you to share) _

_ㅡ fullsun  
_

* * *

**The text messages Mark and Donghyuck had exchanged:**

donghyuck: jaemin is gross

mark: what is it this time?

donghyuck: he tried to kiss renjun at the cafeteria just to make jeno jealous

mark: did it work?

donghyuck: of course it did stupid! it's jaemin we're talking about

donghyuck: i'm questioning my circle of friends

mark: you've been questioning your circle of friends since you first met them

donghyuck: how come you're so lucky to be around mature people?

mark: who are you talking about? doyoung _hyung_ and taeyong _hyung_ fight all the time. they do stupid things too

donghyuck: don't say that about your mothers mark. they will be very sad if they knew their son talking bad about them

mark: ha, ha, ha,

donghyuck: can you come home soon? i'm bored

donghyuck: hello? mark?

donghyuck: h-E-L-L-O A-r-E Y-o-U I-g-N-o-r-I-N-G M-E

mark: be there in ten minutes. I’m bringing pizza home for you

donghyuck: YOU'RE THE BEST ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤

mark: the heart emoticon is gross

donghyuck: ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤

* * *

**Author's Note:**

> [Curious Cat](https://curiouscat.me/_hitmyheart)   
[Twitter](https://twitter.com/_hitmyheart)


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